BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- With Bellingham's plastic bag ban taking effect next month, some retailers are finding frustration preparing for the new regulation.

The bag ban prohibits stores from offering single-use plastic bags and encourages the use of reusable bags.

But Doug Klos with hardware sales says reusable bags can be problematic for a hardware store.



He says the bag ban currently has few details on what stores must do to comply with the new rules.

The ban also requires retailers to charge $0.05 for large paper bags, but Klos says most of the bags they offer at hardware sales are small product bags that don't require any charge.

Bellingham's bag ban takes effect August 1. A similar ban started in Seattle on July 1.